Apparatus for mixing and distributing fertilizers



July 5, 1938. R. c. ZUCKERMAN 2,123,033

APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND DISTRIBUTING FERTILIZERS Y Original Filed Sept. 26. 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l g 21 I m m a R m l Q Q -W O Q ,7 I I m lgii INVENTOR. R C. Zuckerm an ATTORNEY July 5, 1938. R c, ZUCKERMAN 2,123,033

APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND DISTRIBUTING FERTILIZERS Original Filed Sept. 26. 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. R. C Z uckerm an ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE Roscoe C. Zuckerman, Stockton, Calif.

Original application September 26, 1934, Serial 745,568. Divided and this application February 27, 1937, Serial No. 128,210

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the planting art, and particularly to an apparatus for mixing and distributing fertilizer in the drills, furrows or other places prepared for the planting of seed, and is a '5 division of my prior application #745,568, filed Sept. 26, 1934, now United States Patent No. 2,079,061 dated May 4, 1937. It is particularly adapted for use in connection with those types of combination fertilizers and seeders as shown in my United States Patent No. 1,893,512 and United States Patent No. 2,036,559, although undoubtedly it will also be found readily adaptable for use in other ways.

The chief objective of the invention is to provide a device whereby the different elements going to make up fertilizers of different kinds may be kept in segregated relation until immediately prior to use and then mixed in desired proportions and at once distributed upon the soil.

Commercial fertilizers as now generally purchased and applied by farmers to their crops are usually composed of two or more elements as, for instance, nitrogen, phosphate and potash. The ultimate consumer buys the fertilizer, comprising these several elements, from the dealer, who usually has a manufacturing plant, and they are premixed in such plant. In premixing the elements in such plant the dealer first mixes the several elements in the correct proportions according to the selected formula and the mixture is then stored. The several elements as thus mixed cement together in storage and harden. After being in storage a proper length of time the cemented mass is reground and sacked. The price 35. to the final consumer must obviously include the cost of this storage and regrinding operation.

The cost of chemical fertilizers is in any event quite heavy and this additional expense increases the burden considerably.

In order to avoid this additional burden of expense I have provided a means for transporting separate supplies of each element along and adjacent the ground to be fertilized, and while transporting the same withdrawing material from the supplies in the desired relative proportions, mixing them and then at once discharging the mixture onto the soil. Thus the premixing costs will be avoided and still the several fertilizer elements will reach the soil in the properly mixed proportions.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one preferred form of apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on a line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a detached end view of one of the supply hoppers and valve, and valve operating means.

Figure 5 is an end view of the staggered pin mixing element.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings A designates generally a wheeled vehicle having a connecting tongue B by which it may be connected to a suitable source of draft power, such as a tractor, horses, or the like.

If found desirable this vehicle may be provided with a suitable furrow forming element C supported from the main frame of the vehicle by links D and rendered adjustable by lever and link connections E, all substantially as shown and for the purpose described in my United States Patents Nos. 1,893,512 and 2,036,559. A suitable superstructure F carried by this vehicle A may be mounted thereon; the separate material hoppers and mixing and distributing mechanism which I will now proceed to describe in detail being mounted on said superstructure.

The numerals I 2, and 3 indicate separate supply hoppers in each of which may be disposed a supply of each of the different elements going to make up the final mixed fertilizer to be distributed upon the soil. In these hoppers are disposed shafts 4, 5, and 6 respectively, and on which shafts are mounted agitating elements 1, 8 and 9 respectively. The shaft 5 is driven from the axle G of the wheels H of the vehicle by means of a chain l0 driving a sprocket wheel II mounted on the outer end of the shaft 5. A spur gear l2 meshes with a similar spur gear l3 on the shaft 4. A chain drive l4 connects the opposite end of the shaft 5 with the shaft 6. Thus with the rotation of the shaft 5 the shafts 4 and 6 are also rotated.

A chain drive l5 drives off from the shaft 4 and drives a shaft Hi. This shaft IS in turn drives a conveyor roller I! driving a conveyor belt l8 which passes around another roller I 9 at its opposite end. The upper run of the belt It! moves immediately under the lower ends of the hoppers l, 2 and 3.

Each hopper is provided with a bottom adjustable and controlled valve structure arranged to discharge the contents of the hoppers upon the belt l8, these valves being arranged in staggered relation with each other so as to discharge the contents of the hoppers in separated streams upon the belt, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3.

Each valve construction is identical, and I will therefore describe one of them, the others being duplicates thereof. The valve construction involves an opening in the bottom of the hopper. On each side of this opening is a rod 2|. Slidable over the rods 2| is a shutter 22 having a hole 23 adapted to be moved into or out of register with the hole 20 in the hopper in order to open communication from the hopper to the belt l8. On the shutter 22 is a rod 24 through the operation of which the shutter 22 may be moved along the rods 2! to bring the holes 20 and 23 into or out of register with each other. The rod 24 passes through a lever rod 25 set at right angles thereto and is provided with adjustment wing nuts 26 by means of which the exact position of the rod 24 may be set so that with the movement of the lever rod 25 the degree of opening from the hopper through the holes 20 and 23 may be fixed according to the amount of material desired to be discharged from the hopper. It will be obvious therefore that by the adjustment of the valve on each hopper to set the relative proportionate opening of each the amount of material discharged from each hopper may be so proportioned relative to that discharged from the other hoppers as to give any desired mixture of the fertilizer elements desired.

As an instance of this if the farmer desires to discharge 1000 pounds of fertilizer per acre in what is known as a 4-10-10 mixture the adjustments on the several rods 24 are so fixed by the wing nuts 26 that the valves will open to discharge the elements in exactly that desired quantity and proportions. A lever 21 fixed on the lever rod 25 is operable to move all the rods 24 at one time and open or close the shutter valves accordingly. On the shafts 4, 5, and 6 within the hoppers I, 2, and 3 are paddle wheels 28 set to rotate immediately adjacent the corresponding valves in the hoppers so as to definitely move the fertilizer elements through thevalves, the agitators l, 8 and 9 of course keeping the same loose and moving it toward the openings.

It will of course be apparent that with the valves adjusted to proportion the amount of material outletted from the hoppers separated streams of the material with the different elements in exactly the desired proportions will discharge upon the conveyor belt l8. This belt moves continuously in one direction and will carry these streams to a common point, as for instance converging baflle plates 29 projecting over the belt l8. These baffie plates will draw the several streams of fertilizer elements to a common point I as shown clearly in Fig. 2. At this point the several elements will therefore be initially mixed as they discharge over the end of the belt I8 and down the vertical discharge tube 38. The lower end of this tube 3!] discharges into. the upper end of the vertical distributing chute 3|, which has diverging sides in order to distribute the fertilizer over the desired width.

The chute 3| is provided with a plurality of transversely disposed deflector bars or pins 32 set in staggered relation from the narrow upper end of the chute to the wider lower end. As the fertilizer drops by gravity down the discharge tube 30 into the chute 3| it flows over these bars or pins 32 bounding from one to the other, and hence the mixing of the several elements making up the finished fertilizer is enhanced so that the final product reaching the soil is thoroughly mixed.

It will be quite obvious from the foregoing description that the several elements going to make up the final mixed fertilizer can by my apparatus be carried along over and adjacent the soil and mixed as it is being carried and then immediately discharged upon the soil in its thoroughly mixed condition. It will also be apparent that the quantity discharged and the relative proportions of each kind of fertilizing element can be positively controlled so that whatever formula and quantity of fertilizer is desired to be distributed can be definitely fixed.

It will further be obvious that the use of my improved apparatus will eliminate the item of cost involved in the premixing, storage and grinding charges, thus materially reducing the cost of the fertilizer to the ultimate consumer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anduseful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for the mixing and distribution of fertilizer elements comprising a row of separate hoppers, each adapted to hold one fertilizer element, a conveyor belt extending under the hoppers lengthwise of the row, a valved discharge outlet in the bottom of each hopper, the outlets of the different hoppers being spaced transversely of each other relative to the belt, manual control means arranged in connection with the discharge outlet valves to open or close the same, and adjustment means arranged in part with said first named means whereby with a given movement of the control means, the degree of opening of each of the valves may be selectively varied.

2. An apparatus for the mixing and distribution of fertilizer elements comprising a row of separate hoppers, each adapted to hold one fertilizer element, a conveyor belt extending under the hoppers lengthwise of the row, a discharge outlet in the bottom of each hopper, said outlets of the different hoppers being spaced transversely of each other relative to the belt, a slide valvev for each outlet, means mounting the slide valves for movement transversely of the row of hoppers, a rod secured to each valve and extending transversely ,of and to a point beyond one side of the row of hoppers, a horizontal control shaft mounted longitudinally of and spaced from said one side of the row of hoppers, radial levers fixed on the shaft and pivotally connected at their outer ends to the outer ends of the rods, and means to rotate the shaft.

3. A device as in claim 2 in which said last named means comprises a hand lever mounted on the control shaft adjacent the outer end of the last hopper in the row relative to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt.

4. A device as in claim 2 in which the outer end portion of the rods are threaded; each of the pivotal connections including a collar slidably disposed on the threaded portion of the rod, and a wing nut threaded on the rod on each side of the collar.

ROSCOE C. ZUCKERMAN- 

